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The Pleasanton Unified School District board will decide Tuesday whether to resume adult education courses and which firms to interview to facilitate its search for a permanent superintendent.
The school board, which will meet at its district headquarters on Bernal Avenue, will decide whether to start up its adult education classes, which were cut in 2012 because the funding was needed for other programs. Closed session will start at 6 p.m., and open session will begin at 7 p.m.
The adult education classes, which are expected to be paid for through a state grant, could be workforce reentry programs, programs for adults with disabilities, technical education programs, English as a second language courses or classes that help adults earn a high school equivalency certificate, among other options under the state grant requirements.
The school board will also decide which three firms to interview out of seven firms being considered to run the district’s superintendent search process. The board is expected to approve a contract with a firm next month.
The firms being considered are Atlantic Research Partners, CSBA/McPherson & Jacobson LLC, The Cosca Group, Dave Long & Associates, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Leadership Associates and Ray and Associates Inc.
The selected firms will be interviewed publicly at a special board meeting on Nov. 3.
Whichever the board approves will facilitate receiving and reviewing applications for the district’s position of superintendent, will present candidates for the board’s consideration and will arrange logistics when a superintendent has been chosen.
Pleasanton Unified is searching for a new superintendent after its former superintendent Parvin Ahmadi left earlier this year to become superintendent at Castro Valley’s school system. Former Amador Valley principal Jim Hansen was appointed as interim superintendent this summer.
In other meeting news:
-The board will hear an update from a committee that is tasked with gathering opinions about a proposed change to the district’s instructional calendar for upcoming school years.
-The board will decide whether to appoint Lei-Wey Sun to a board audit committee, which is tasked with reviewing the district’s finances. Sun is a certified public accountant, a parent to PUSD students and a Pleasanton resident.
-The board will decide whether to approve a report on its quarterly investments.
-The board will decide whether to accept the donation of a $200 cello to Harvest Park Middle School.
Can we discuss the fact that California just passed the dyslexia law and the fact that there will be no more exit exams for high school students?
Really? A $200 cello donation? Let’s not waste time people. Why are the placement firms just now being considered? The past superintendent left in July, over three months ago. I realize we have an interim superintendent in place but what’s with all the feet dragging?
Why does a $200 cello donation have to be discussed? As long as its a no strings attached deal, who cares? Maybe the cello needs repair which would cost the school money to fix, is that why they need to discuss?
Hooray for the person who is donating.
I think it’s great that Adult Ed is coming back, AND will be paid for by a grant from the state. As long as that’s all it is, then that’s a big win for our area.
Would love to see this as a revenue generator for the schools and use the grant for the kids.
To Ed…
Cello……Yes, there are strings attached. Awesome.
Understood that grants (i.e. tax dollars) are earmarked. I would like to see that change; we need to offset spending and find ways to generate revenue to reduce dependency on special taxes.
To Punny – good catch – didn’t see that coming.
How much do these search firms cost?
I have several stringed instruments that could be fixed up, at my expense, and donated.
However, I would have to know who to contact and if the instruments would be used by students.
Items: 4 violins, 2 cello, 1 trombone, and several percussion instruments.
If you’re looking to donate, I suggest calling the Pleasanton Unified district office at 925-462-5500. Explain that you’re looking to donate instruments to the music program, and the secretary should be able to help connect you with the right person.
You can also contact me if you’re having trouble. Meredith Bauer, Pleasanton Weekly reporter, 925-600-0840 ext. 121.
I like the quote from John Adams, that we should have two educations on how to make a living and one on how to live. I am just going back to school and being older is a little hard when every one else about 8 years or so younger then you. But I am learning so much about myself and what I can do. I really glad I went back to school. http://pace.nku.edu
Here I realized a thing about school and students’ news can be collected in a well manner. I really liked this website because of this. http://www.sunnyessays.com.
Grants are generally for a specified purpose, so if this is for Adult Ed, it won’t go into K-12 classrooms. And Adult Ed was a revenue generator–enough so that they gutted the program to take the $300,000 piggy bank savings (and people’s jobs) to cover overspending/shortfalls in other areas of the budget. Adult Ed was beneficial to the community (think back to the topic about parents not speaking English); it would be a welcome return.
Pleasanton Parent – You’d have to get the state to change the rules for grants of these kinds (or whomever holds the purse and the strings).
Old Guy – Probably as much as $30,000. Well worth it, though, in my experience. I have a bias as to which firm is the best of the bunch. I hope board members choose wisely.